Master Box German Radio Car Build: Complete

I am glad this build is finally over. It was definitely becoming a chore to finish. As I mentioned in a previous post, this was a frustrating kit to work with. Apart from a lot of broken plastic, the decals were garbage and flaked into pieces. At first, I was going to scrap them but then decided to use the flaking to my advantage. With a couple additional scrapes of the hobby blade, I was able to make the decals look like chipped paint. It worked out well given the circumstances.

Here's my process for getting the finish:

1. Start with preshading and base coat (see previous post).
2. Using an inexpensive paint sponge with black paint, I dabbed it around in certain areas to simulate the effect of paint chipping.
3. Apply a light dust coat using Tamiya Flat Earth, especially near the bottom of the vehicle.
4. I use a mixture of black and brown oil paint heavily thinned with paint thinner to do a wash around all the details.
5. Finally, I add in some Vallejo light and dark pigments with a soft brush to get the final blended color variations.

 

 

Master Box German Radio Car Build: Painting

It's snowing here in Minnesota this Easter weekend, but hopefully for the last time this season. I am taking the time indoors to do some painting work on some of the in-progress models I have sitting on my desk. I finished applying the preshading layer and base coats on the radio car. Now on to detail painting. Some people really love this part, but I wish I enjoyed painting more. It is my least favorite part of model building since so many things can go wrong at this step after having spent weeks putting the thing together. Yet, reaching the finish line requires passing through this tedious step, along with uttering a couple four-letter words.

A good tip: cardboard cake rounds are really useful for airbrushing. They are super cheap, a package of 6 costs $5, and you can use both side of a round. They also fit on to cake decorating turntables which are also super cheap ($10). It is a lot less expensive than buying a fancy paint turntable.

Master Box German Radio Car Build: Build-step Complete

Relief. The build portion of this WWII Radio Car is finally over. This was definitely one of my least favorite kits, but I persevered. It's a great subject - an old Mercedes with many options for customizing and styling. The fit was ok for this kit, though I ran into a problem or two. The instructions were occasionally frustrating. The real problem was that many parts were so thin that they were broken when I got the kit or broke as I tried to clip them off the sprue. Additionally, there was much mirthless laughter as the Carpet Monster ate more tiny-tiny parts (or broken parts of parts) than I care to admit.

I will start priming today and maybe do some preshading.